The Zimbabwean government stepped up its crackdown on the political opposition on Monday by denying bail to the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, and arresting his deputy.
Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) now facing a second charge of treason, remained in jail on Monday after his lawyers failed to win his release. The MDC claimed 800 of its supporters had been arrested in the five-day national strike last week.
Tsvangirai already faces charges of treason that he plotted to have President Robert Mugabe assassinated.
The fresh charge is that he plotted a violent overthrow of the Mugabe government by calling for mass anti-government demonstrations.
Tsvangirai denies both charges, saying he has always advocated a peaceful change of government in Zimbabwe.
The opposition party's secretary general, Welshman Ncube, a co-accused in the first treason trial, was arrested Monday and may also face new treason charges following last week's anti-government protests.
He was questioned Monday by police, who were expected to detain him after his appearance in the high court with Tsvangirai.
In a rare interview broadcast by the South African Broadcasting Corporation, Mugabe warned that he would continue his campaign against the opposition: "As long as there is that fight, I am for a fight ... And I can still punch."
The president dismissed suggestions that he is ready to retire after 23 years in power.
South Africa has encouraged him to stand down and hand over to a government of national unity as part of a brokered deal.
But Mugabe rejected the suggestion. "I don't want to retire in a situation where people are disunited and where certain of our objectives have not been achieved," he said. "It would be nonsensical for me, a year after my election, to resign."
Human Rights Watch, a New York-based organization, warned that the Mugabe government had markedly increased its abuses of civil rights in recent months.
"Not only have the army and police personnel failed to protect people from human rights abuses, but they are now carrying out abuses themselves," said Peter Takirambudde, executive director of the organization's Africa division.
"Recent legislation has drastically curtailed citizens' rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association," he said.
The report charges that political violence prevalent in rural areas has become common in urban centers, and non-political organizations with civic and church leaders are targeted.
It says the majority of the violence in recent months has been committed by state security forces and youth militias.
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